This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for wrapping individual and similarly shaped confectionery and non-confectionery items, and more particularly, to wrapping mints and the like.
The prior art apparatus is known from the present assignee's previously assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,757,499 and 3,391,520; and this invention provides an improved and simplified arrangement for accomplishing the automatic and continuous individual wrapping of each item.
The referenced U.S. Pat. No. 2,757,499 is directed in general to a machine wherein the individual articles are pushed through a stuffing tunnel to shape a planar sheet fragment into the form of a bag surrounding the entering end and peripheral portion of the article leaving a skirt. Thereafter, the skirt is twisted and crimped in order to form about the opposite end of the article a complete wrap to substantially seal each article or unit in a tightly wrapped manner. Specifically, the machine of this patent is associated with a conventional article conveyor line and includes a receiving chamber for delivering the articles in a predetermined position. A machine mechanism intermittently projects the free end of a strip of flexible wrapping material into a planar position above or in front of the article. The machine thereafter severs the outer portion of the strip into a wrapping fragment and brings the article with the severed fragment into a stuffer tunnel to cover the forward end and periphery of the article in a bag formation within the wrapper. Thereafter, the twist and skirt portion is formed tightly about the article completing the wrapping operation, all of which is operatively synchronized in the successive operations for wrapping the individual articles.
An improved appparatus for wrapping the individual confectionery products was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,520 in which the machine retained a piece of confectionery product adjacent a continuous web of wrapping material. While the piece was retained by the conveyor mechanism, the web was severed and pushed with the piece to fold the wrapper about the piece to complete the fold. This apparatus included a drum mechanism for individually indexing each head with a mint through a number of angular locations while the material was retained adjacent one surface of the pieces for each head severing the web to form a wrapper. A plunger mechanism forwarded the confectionery piece out of the drum assembly and moved the stationary piece to partially fold the wrapper about said piece, and the folding was completed at the wrapping station. A severing mechanism was included for feeding a sheet of wrapping material from the web to form individual wrappers for movement into the wrapping station. In the wrapping station, the mint is pushed out of the drum assembly aperture and against the severed wrapper to build the outer parametric portions of the wrapper and to fold the outer parametric portions of the wrapper to complete the wrapping of the confectionery piece which was accomplished in the wrapping head. The wrapping head included a series of folders for each drum assembly to complete the wrapping operation, each series of elements being synchronized to complete the folding of the paper to completely wrap the confectionery piece.
Insofar as the referenced patents are necessary for an understanding and to enable practicing the instant invention, the patents are hereby incorporated by reference. The improved apparatus according to the present invention provides a simplified arrangement for feeding and conveying the individual items to be wrapped into the wrapping head. The improvements include a simplified plunger and infeed drive so that the overall operation is simpler. A number of features are incorporated to provide a mint wrapper having simple construction and operation; this results in a lower cost and easier to maintain machine as will become evident by reference to the following specification.